Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

TYLER, Texas – A Baton Rouge man has been convicted of federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

Marland Henry Gibson, 52, was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. 

According to information presented in court, on March 20, 2021, Gibson was stopped for speeding on Interstate-20 in Gregg County.  During the traffic stop, it was determined Gibson had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in Marion County, Indiana on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.  Gibson was arrested on the warrant and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed not only a handgun hidden in a compartment behind the vehicle’s dashboard, but a suitcase in the rear of the vehicle containing the following items:

• a 144 Tactical LLC, model PS 15, 300 Blackout, multi caliber, handgun with magazine;
• six (6) .45 caliber cartridges;
• thirty (30) assorted .223/300 caliber cartridges;
• two (2) extended P-mag magazines containing ammunition;
• twenty-seven (27) .300 caliber cartridges;
• forty (40) .223/300 caliber cartridges;
• a Springfield XD magazine containing ammunition;
• six (6) .45 caliber cartridges;
• a box containing forty-seven (47) .45 caliber, Federal brand, cartridges; and
• a box containing forty-six (46) .45 caliber, Winchester brand, cartridges.

Further investigation revealed Gibson is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

Gibson was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 17, 2021.  He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.

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